1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing whipped cream. The apparatus includes a pressureless reservoir for receiving the cream, a pump, particularly a gear pump, driven by means of a motor, an intake line connecting the pressureless reservoir to the pump, and a pressure line leading from the pump to a homogenizer including an outlet nozzle, wherein the intake line is connected to an air intake duct and operation of the motor can be started by means of a switch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus of the above-described type have a valve either upstream or downstream of the homogenizer, as seen in flow direction of the cream. Because of the presence of the valve, a check valve must be provided in the intake line between the air intake duct and the pump, so that the intake line can be kept pressure free after the motor for driving the pump has been switched off. If this check valve were not provided, the danger would exist that cream flows back into the air intake duct which, in turn, would lead to problems in the operation of the apparatus.
The above-described valves are provided downstream of the homogenizer and immediately upstream of the outlet nozzle. As a rule, the valves are spring-biased ball valves. Since these valves open quickly as soon as the holding force of the spring has been exceeded by the pressure, it is not possible to control the discharged amount of cream by means of such devices. In addition, the passage of the ball valves is a relatively narrow annular gap whose size is in the order of magnitude of the gaps and passages of the homogenizer. If the whipped cream leaving the homogenizer is again forced through such an annular gap, the danger exists that the whipped cream is decomposed into its components, i.e., cream and air.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the production of whipped cream in which the above-described disadvantages are avoided.